Knotty Affairs Read online

  He continued, occasionally looking at everyone, ‘Today, it’s just the two of us living in a four-bedroom house. We visit our daughters occasionally, but we often think of the time when we were all together as a family, and our house was lively and resounded with the chatter and laughter of our children. At such times, we feel a jab of pain in our hearts.’

  Mr Pande, who lived in Ambrosia, the same building where the Mehtas and Doshis lived, looked at the group rather incredulously and said, ‘That’s bizarre. According to our customs and traditions, it is blasphemous to consume even a glass of water in a daughter’s house after she is married, let alone share a kitchen as you people are doing. Even if you disregard that as an outdated orthodox thought, why block the path of progress? No boy or girl can be tied down to his or her parents forever, letting go of all the opportunities that may come their way!’

  Bharat Doshi smiled and replied, ‘You are right, Mr Pande. We, too, thought along the same lines until we first heard the proposal. But, Pandeji, think about it. We, as parents, always criticize every undesired act of our children in a bid to make them perfect. We never stop pointing out what is wrong for them, so why should we stop them now when they are doing something good?’

  Kinnari added, ‘This is a new generation. They don’t mince their words. They can make you feel that they are petty and, at times, cruel, citing the age-old reasons of practicality and, at other times, they can make you feel that no one cares for you more than them!’‘We are not sure how long this is going to last,’ Ashwin Mehta chipped in. ‘Maybe they will think differently once the novelty wears off. Once they get on with their married lives, they will have things, other than ensuring a joint family, to worry about. But, until then, we are having a blast!’

  Bharat Doshi clasped Chhaya’s hand and said, ‘We have stood by them even when they have let us down. Now, when they want us there together, we can’t let them down. Today, in our third decade of married life, we have cherished and lived our dream of a happily married life. That is how they want their married life to be, and we want to see the same sparkle in their eyes that comes with the belief that they fulfilled their dreams, just like us.’

  Mrs Saeeda Begum, who was listening to them quietly, remarked, ‘One thing is for sure. This marriage will be sans tears. Since your daughter is not parting from you, there will be no bidaai ceremony!’ she laughed.

  Mrs Sangoi, a firm believer in the customs and traditions followed in a marriage ceremony, seemed apprehensive. She warned them, ‘Since many of the customs and traditions in the ceremony are going for a toss, beware of any sort of bad omen.’

  Bharat reassuringly said, ‘If, at any point, we see things going wrong because of the current proposal, we won’t hesitate in taking charge of the matter. Following customs is no guarantee that marriages will last for ever. Most to-be married couples leave no stone unturned in following rituals and customs on the wedding day and yet many such marriages do not last, right?’

  Everyone turned silent, mulling over the point made by Bharat Doshi. Mrs Pande tried changing the focus of discussion.

  ‘So, it’s been a week since you all shifted. How’s it going? Settled in comfortably?’

  Chhaya replied, ‘It’s too early to say. We are still unpacking, and hardly have the time to interact much.’

  Ashwin grinned and added, ‘Yep, there are still a few things to be arranged. Initially, Kinnari and I both wondered if Bharatbhai was shifting his house or his office! Files and files poured in. They might take more time to sort it out.’

  Ashwin added, ‘The newspaper vendor is baffled by our varied choices of dailies. We have six papers coming in every morning!’

  He looked at Bharat and said, ‘We will need to reduce the number, or else we will have newspapers lying everywhere.’

  Everyone had a hearty laugh listening to the mundane matters of this unusual household. Saeeda Begum asked, ‘And how are Aakash and Aneri coping? Have things fallen into place for them?’

  Kinnari sighed, ‘Managing their work and moving into a new house simultaneously have left them completely exhausted. But we all know that they are going out of their way to make this work. I am surprised how grown up and responsible Aakash is suddenly behaving. It’s so unlike him. Aneri is generally calm and efficient in handling most things. Maybe Aakash is learning a thing or two from her.’

  Bharat chimed in, ‘Aah! I had a small argument with him two days back. He threw a minor tantrum when I ordered him to sleep in the living hall and not the bedroom. I simply told him that I am not comfortable with the idea of Aneri and him sharing the same bed before they get married!’ he winked. ‘He tried to argue and to work his way around my decision, but finally threw his blanket on the couch in the living hall!’ he added with a giggle.

  Kinnari shook her head and said, ‘That happened for the good then. Although tired, Aneri and Kinjal stay awake all night having girly chats. I have never seen Kinju grow so fond of someone as she has of Aneri.’

  ‘In fact, they are planning to make us all stay up tomorrow night. They have dug up old photographs and are doing an exchange of memories through photographs. They have digitized them and have prepared a show with them.’

  Mr Jawdekar slapped his hand on his thigh and said, ‘Wow! That’s a fantastic idea! Ashwinbhai, enjoy your night, a lot of secrets are going to be unveiled!’

  He winked and joined the merry laughter that erupted within the group. The Mehtas and Doshis had managed to get everyone chatting as they shared their plan for Saturday night! Jawdekar sighed deeply as he remembered his kids.

  ‘MERI MARZI…AUWW!’ a young Aakash shouted on the screen, thrusting his abdomen forwards as the clip played on the projector screen. A toddler of about five years, Aakash wore an oversize t-shirt and baggy cargos. He wore his cap backwards along with black, Dabang-style sunglasses. He was furiously stomping his feet on the ground as the song played on.

  ‘MAIN CHAHE YE KAROON, MAIN CHAHE VO KAROON…MERI MARZI…AUWW.’

  Aneri laughed so hard that tears streamed down her face and she fell on top of Kinjal, who in turn toppled forward. Aakash face-palmed himself, embarrassed by what he was seeing on the screen.

  Finally, he joined in the laughter and said, ‘Devang Patel used to come out with these crazy songs that were very popular with kids of our generation. He looked at Kinjal and, as if taking the cue from the past, they both broke into a song in unision, ‘Madhuri Dixit mili raste mein, khaye chane hum saste mein…’

  Everyone rolled with laughter and joined in the chorus with whatever lyrics they remembered.

  The next slide showed a young Bharatbhai and Chhaya with a three-year-old Aneri, holding Chhaya’s finger, her face all screwed up with crying. The green trees in the background were a striking contrast to the toddler’s bright-red woollen cap. ‘Aneri, do you remember the Matheran trip that Christmas when a monkey snatched sandwich from your hand?’ Bharat asked playfully. ‘You cried for half a day. Nothing, not even chocolates or a soft toy could console you!’

  Aneri looked somewhat embarrassed, but she sportingly joined everyone in another round of laughter. She looked at Kinjal and winked before throwing a fleeting glance at Aakash. She and Kinjal knew that their plan had worked. Everyone was having a wonderful time refreshing old memories. All the late nights spent in digitalizing various photos and videos, foraging through different boxes, had been fruitful. As she looked around, she realized that it was not just Aakash and she who were doing their best, but everyone in the house was trying hard to make their dream come true!

  What if anything goes wrong? She thought to herself for a second before brushing it aside. She wanted to be in the moment and enjoy the night with her family without thinking about the future.

  The next slide showed Aneri from her high school days. She was lad in sporty blue t-shirt, blue denims, and a jacket wrapped around her waist. Her hair was cut in a striking blunt and she sported stylish sunglasses with elan. Aakash whistled loudly and said
playfully, ‘Kuch kuch hota hai!’

  Everyone stared at him in surprise till he clarified, ‘I mean that’s Kajol’s look from the movie Kuch Kuch Hota Hai…’

  Aneri mused, ‘Kajol’s Kuch Kuch Hota Hai look was the craze in our high school at that point. Every second girl wanted the blunt cut!’

  The next slide showed a sepia-tinged photograph with slightly torn edges. It showed an old classroom with students in grey and white uniforms. They were lined in three rows, and a lady teacher stood right at the centre of the first row.

  Bharat smiled and said, ‘Aakash, that’s Aneri’s school photograph. It was taken when she was in fourth grade. Can you identify her?’

  Aakash walked in front of the projection screen and started guessing randomly. Finally, after pointing at more than a dozen girls, he gave up. Kinjal came to his rescue. She pointed her finger at a timid girl sitting on the extreme left corner of the second row.

  The next slide showed a picture of Kinjal during her college days. She was wearing a yellow knitted top and blue jeans. Perched on her left shoulder was a small teddy bear. Kinjal immediately said that the song Chui mui si tum lagti ho featured that kind of a teddy bear. She confessed that the moment she had seen that video (where the lead actress sports that teddy bear on her shoulder), she had hurried to a gift shop to buy it.

  The next photograph was a lively snapshot of Aakash with his dental group. The picture was clicked on their final annual fest. As soon as the photo flashed on the screen, everyone in the room became silent. The only people who failed to understand the reason behind this sudden silence were Mr and Mrs Doshi. They looked at others, confusion writ large on their faces. Aneri firmly clutched Aakash’s hand as she introduced her parents to Aakash’s dental friends: Uttam, Apeksha, Neel, Barkha, and Kashish.

  This trip down memory lane continued till quite late in the night. Photos of various trips, family functions, and festival celebrations were shared and exchanged. Both families tried to get acquainted with the different styles of celebrations they followed. Close relatives on either side were introduced with small, often hilarious, descriptions of their distinctive traits or a story of an incident involving them.

  The slideshow included snippets of memories from the younger days of Ashwin, Kinnari, Chhaya, and Bharat. One photo showed Kinnari being felicitated for winning a national classical dance competition, while another showed Bharat aping a Rishi Kapoor hairdo. One showed Chhaya throwing snowballs at Bharat on their honeymoon in Kashmir, and another of Ashwin on a tennis court.

  Many beautiful memories flashed before their eyes, and one very interesting one!When Chhaya was showing one of her pictures taken during college years, Ashwin said, almost breathlessly, ‘Hey! What’s Aakruti doing with you?’

  ‘Aakruti was one of my best friends in college. She still is…’ She looked at Ashwin’s face and asked, ‘Ahem… Ashwinbhai, how do you know Aakruti?’

  Before Ashwin could reply, Kinnari said, ‘Well, I was told that Ashwin used to like some Aakruti who used to join their group during Navratri nights.’

  Again, Ashwin tried to say something, but Chhaya spoke before he could utter a word, ‘Ya, I remember Aakruti telling me that some guy used to like her when she was younger. I clearly remember that she mentioned it was someone in her dandiya group.’

  Everyone looked at Ashwin, who seemed somewhat embarrassed.

  Chhaya teased Ashwin, ‘She is now happily married to a wealthy businessman in New Jersey. She had come to India last year and promised me that she would come to India to attend Aneri’s wedding.’

  Ashwin’s face turned red. He said, ‘Thank God we listened to our children and decided to go ahead with a simple wedding ceremony. I have no plans to spend my time avoiding someone at my son’s wedding!’

  The living room burst into ‘boos’ and ‘ohos’, forcing Ashwin to hide his face behind his wife’s back. As Aakash blew a whistle from his mouth, a pillow came flying towards him from behind Kinnari.

  Days passed by smoothly as both families tried to adjust to each other and fit into each other’s space. Aakash and Aneri both felt that their parents were their biggest strength. But neither of them had ever given a thought to the probability of the merger of these strengths. They were well aware that if this merger backfired, it could lead to the devastation of vital relationships.

  When two individuals develop a close relationship, it’s inevitable that many personal secrets tumble out of the closet. Most times, these secrets tend to bring people closer. Common denominators like past relationship, feuds, future goals, and the like, bring strangers closer. Aakash and Aneri had already gone through this phase. Many common links had served to bind them.

  When two families start living together in the same house, their habits and secrets come out into the open. In most cases, a newly married girl has the responsibility of safeguarding her new family’s secrets. But as the dynamics changed in the case of Aakash and Aneri, they found themselves in a little cesspool of closely guarded secrets hidden under the blanket of a healthy happy family image to the world.

  So, as Aneri and Kinjal got close during their girly gossip nights, Aneri discovered that Kinjal was in love with a guy. She, however, was dead scared of letting anyone know about him, not even Aakash. Not many knew that Ashwin suffered from chronic allergic rhinitis and, at the slightest provocation by an allergen, he would cough his lungs out all through the night. Twice or maybe thrice in the middle of the night, Bharat had stood in front of his door, reluctant to knock and tell him that his non-stop coughing was keeping everyone awake. Kinnari found out that Chhaya had never got along with her mother-in-law, who stayed with Bharat’s younger brother in Ahmedabad. Kinnari was somewhat uncomfortable when Chhaya spoke ill of her mother-in-law, Dhanvantriben, and about how her life turned to hell when she came to stay with them. And that actually did happen. She came to stay with them for a couple of days and all hell broke loose. As a matter of fact, it was Kinnari who took care of Dhanvantriben and made her feel at home. But that came at a cost. Dhanvantriben had a lot of bad things to say about her daughter-in-law.

  Bharat and Aneri were busy winding up a few cases before Diwali and the wedding. Bharat made regular visits to Aakash’s clinic for the changing of wires and follow-ups. His sugar and blood pressure levels were regularly measured so that the fracture healing took place with ease. As a matter of fact, these frequent visits to Aakash’s clinic developed a close bond between Aakash and his father-in-law. Bharat soon realized that Aakash, though a bit casual in approach, was really naïve and good at heart. His initial apprehensions now evaporated as he got to know Aakash well.

  It would have been an overstatement to say that Aakash and Aneri never had disagreements. They did, but kept it under wraps for the greater good of the family. In fact, in their quest to find a perfect joint family, they discovered each other in a true sense.

  However, what was never under their control was the world around them. As the word about their unusual domestic arrangement spread, many blasted them for this unconventional decision. Relatives from both sides of the families poured in under the pretext of welcoming the new members in the family. There were dinner get-togethers and parties; there were karaoke nights and dance parties. Every occasion brought in new relatives who were ever ready to put the parents in the line of fire for allowing their kids to pull off this crazy stunt.

  Bharat and Ashwin had already anticipated this and they came up with their whackiest and best explanations for curious relatives. Right from it being a ‘live-in relationship with another interesting couple’ to being ‘bored of their earlier set-up’, they laughed off the queries with wit and humour. The intention was never to convince the world around them, but to come across as being sure about what they were doing. Ashwin particularly enjoyed these festivities. These were the times when he made special efforts to mingle and socialize. He loved getting together with his friends and relatives and catching up on old times. The end of these festivities
brought an aching emptiness in his heart but, with his new settings this time, he hardly felt this emptiness. Though, at times, he found the idea of staying together with Aakash’s in-laws pretty strange, he nevertheless thanked his stars for going along with it.

  Just like Aneri and Kinjal, Kinnari and Chhaya, too, became good friends. From preparing festival feasts, to occasionally shopping for the marriage ceremony, they enjoyed being together. They gave a professional twist to their love for cooking by preparing delicious homemade chocolates and selling them in their new neighbourhood. On the mornings when they did not venture to the park for a walk, Kinnari used her knowledge of yoga on Chhaya’s rheumatoid arthritis.

  As his wounds healed, Bharat insisted on having a karaoke melody night. Amid relatives and new-found friends from their neighbourhood, he sang his favourite songs to his heart’s content. It was a night to remember as the old and the young mingled in a rather unique way.

  Since his childhood days, Aakash had always envied his cousins who stayed together in a joint family set-up in the small towns of Gujarat. With big traditional houses at their disposal, he would see them handling their small but age-old family businesses. Elderly ladies and his cousin sisters would spend their time in the kitchen, passing most of their time doing household chores. The men would never discuss their work when they were back home for dinner. They would talk about various social issues and functions and end the day by watching all sorts of melodramatic soap operas.

  Aakash loved to visualize himself in this type of a joint-family setting. Their present experiment, he felt, carried the same spirit, albeit in a modern-day setting. He was not sure if this was meant to be everlasting, but deep down he was aware that Aneri had granted him his own vision of a joint family. Aakash had the privilege of staying under the same roof with two sets of loving and understanding parents, a life partner he doted on, and a sister who was his best friend.